This invention relates in general to component dispensers used in assembly line production and more particularly to an improvement to carousel-type component dispensers.
The design of carousel-type component dispensers is well known in the prior art. Most of the prior art component dispensers are controlled by a manually activated air switch which requires the operator to depress a button each time he requires the next component called for in the assembly of a work piece. The drawback of such control mechanisms is that they require the operator to be aware of which dispenser position was last selected. Hence, when distracted or when returning to his work, the operator can forget whether the component selection presently available is the one required or whether the component dispenser requires advancement to the next position.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate these and other drawbacks of the prior art by providing an improved means of controlling the rotation of a carousel-type component dispenser.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control mechanism for a carousel-type component dispenser which automatically advances the carousel to the next position each time a component is removed from the carousel.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a light activated switching apparatus to control the sequencing of a component dispenser.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the drawings.